It’s hard to get me excited about power banks. I’ve seen so many of them, they really need something to stand out. The Solove Titan Power Bank wins for looks and performance. On one full charge, the Solove power bank can fully charge my HTC One M8, my Kindle Voyage, 5000 mAh power bank, and 70% of my Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ tablet. That’s incredible.

Let me tell you, these things have come a long way. In the early days, a 20,000 mAh power banks were much bulkier, and they could only be recharged with an AC adapter. Now, it recharges with a micro USC cable. Sure, that can take the better part of a day, but I consider it an improvement.

Solove is the size of my Kindle Voyage, just a bit thicker and heavier but very sleek. It has two USB ports (I used them at the same time), but no flashlight. Really, who ever uses the flashlight on a power bank for anything? If you simply need a charger for your cell phone to use every now and then, I’d say get something smaller, about 5000 mAh (in the world of power banks, capacity and size go hand in hand). For larger devices or extended stays in the woods, this is a great choice.

I know what you’re thinking, why buy the kit when you can buy all the separate ingredients yourself? It’s not like there are a lot of items: graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows – enough to make 36 S’mores. Yum.

But there’s something special about having it all in one box, even more special if you intend to give it as a gift. My first impression when I opened the Hershey’s S’mores Kit? The graham cracker packages were small, but that wasn’t going to discourage me from making S’mores. I did as the box says and toasted my S’mores in the toaster oven. If you’ve never done that, you ought to give it a go. Oh . . . my . . . gumdrops. They are the most perfect S’mores I’ve ever tasted in my life, even better than over a campfire, because the chocolate melted onto the crackers. Heaven couldn’t taste this good.

I bought the series because I loved it so much as a child. My daughter expressed interest in it, but what’s showing right now on satellite is the later years. She wanted to see the kids when they were little, so I went ahead and bought Little House on the Prairie. We just watched the pilot tonight as a family. It streams smoothly in SD, but the colors are dark. In some scenes, it’s a little hard to see through the shadows. I’m not sure if HD would have been better. I loved the episode, though. Some scenes were roughly edited, but the kids were so young, it made me nostalgic.

I’ve been collecting multitools for my car. There are so many types, but each one I own has special tools not found in the others. In this case, it’s the pliers. I like it. The Gelindo Multitool well-built with a nice weight, and feels solid in my hands. I’ve been using it for every task I can think of around the house.

My only complaint is the Phillips screwdriver, which could benefit from a more pointed tip. I can’t get it to turn a lot of screws because it’s wide and blunted and doesn’t catch the screws, but I was able to use it to screw on my bike’s alarm horn.

Here’s a watch that will go with anything – casual or dressy, it fits right in. The Armitron Women’s Two-Tone Bracelet Watch comes with an extender link, which means the band can be adjusted somewhat without the need for a jeweler. I, with my tiny wrist, had to remove an additional four links.

It fits me like a glove now. I wear it all day, every day. The lack of numbers on the watch face gives it a more sophisticated look, and the tiny crystal adds to it. A date function would be nice, but maybe that would mar the sleek look.

I’m not one of those folks who expects a deodorant to last through a workout and then help them make it through the rest of the day. If I work out, I shower, so there’s no way I can tell you if Dove Advanced Care will do the trick. However, it does work for me on a relatively inactive day, which is a typical day for me.

The scent is okay. Original clean is a little too clinical. I like powder fresh better. I also prefer lotion, but they don’t sell the lotions in the store anymore. Sticks last longer (they don’t run out, I mean), so maybe sticks are more popular. I’m not sure about Nutrium Moisture. I’ve never felt the need to moisturize my armpits. That’s a dichotomy, right? It will keep them moist and dry.

The Blusmart® Bicycle Alarm really does work. It’s not only an alarm, it can be a horn, as well. Instructions are not the best, and programming can be clunky as we try to decipher what the number of audio bursts is supposed to mean. My ears were shot by the time I had the new code in.

I like that the alarm turns off after 15 seconds and resets, so if it was an accidental bump, people are not going to be totally annoyed. If it is someone stealing the bike, it will go off again and again. Sure, anyone can walk off with a bike that’s wailing – or smash the alarm, or take the battery out – but the crook will not be able to steal on the stealth, which is what most of them want to do, right?

Just beware that the Amazon product title says “with remote,” but there is no remote.

Normally, a 15000 mAh power bank can charge my phone three times, so I was impressed when the iEGrow Battery Pack gave my phone three charges plus another 65% to boot. Wow. It has two USB outlets, a must for something that carries this much juice. I took advantage and charged my tablet and Kindle at the same time.

The design is simple and includes an LED bulb flashlight, just in case. I’m happy the housing is not that awful fingerprint-magnet glossy finish of some other power banks. It’s matte black. Now that’s more like it. Keep in mind it takes a very long time to fully charge this power bank, longer than overnight. I guess I should expect that for 15000 mAh, but I wish it would supercharge for convenience.

I no longer think of myself as a novice drone warrior. I might be beginner or intermediate. I no longer have trouble flying drones, but I find larger drones like the Potensic® Syma X5C-1 are easier to fly than their mini counterparts. They are simply more stable in the air. I took my drone outside where there was a mild breeze and I was impressed by how easily I could control it in the wind.

This drone comes with extra blades. All the blades are not the same. Make sure to place the proper blades on the motor or your drone won’t fly. Don’t forget to use the screwdriver (also included) to screw the blade guards onto the drone or else they will fall off.

A micro SD card comes pre-installed.

Instructions are very minimal. For the benefit of newbies, I will add some additional instructional tips here.

PAIRING

Turn on the drone (light start flashing). Turn on the controller. Push the left control all the way forward and then all the way back. The lights turn solid, which means it’s paired.

***IMPORTANT*** I found that it was not possible to pair my drone outdoors. At first, I thought it was the battery. That wasn’t it. I have to go inside the house, pair it, then take it outside to fly. Why? I don’t know. Sometimes (not always), I could pair it in the shade, but try the same thing in the sun and it’s a definite no-go. For those who cannot get their drone to work, try pairing it indoors.
CAMERA

While the drone and controller are paired, slide the switch that is to the right of the left control stick towards you. The light under the camera will flash red. To stop recording, slide it down again. The camera light will turn green.

***IMPORTANT*** Stop the recording before turning off the controller. If you simply turn off the controller, the file will be corrupt. For all those reviewers who are having difficulty with their videos, I’ll bet dollars to donuts that this is the problem.

For photos, slide the video switch away from you.
FLYING

The left control stick controls altitude (push forward and back) and rotation (push side to side). The right control stick controls direction of flight (forward, back, left, right). Remember, use steady, controlled movements. For example, lift by slowly pushing the left control stick forward.

If you are flying for the first time, it’s easier to face the drone away from you (camera forward) and keep it that way. From a distance, the lights underneath will guide you. The orange lights are the front of the drone. Do not rotate the quadcopter by moving the left control stick side to side until you can control it facing forward. Remember that left, right, forward, and back is in relation to the direction the drone is facing and not you. For that reason, it is easy to get disoriented when the drone rotates.

FLIPS

Hold the button near the right index finger down while moving the right control stick in the direction you want to roll the drone. Make sure the drone is high enough in the air or else it will hit the ground or injure someone.

TRIM

The drone should lift straight up when using only the left control stick. If it drifts slightly, that’s not a big deal. If it gets to the point that it’s difficult to control, you will have to adjust the trim. Basically, slide the trim switch several times in the opposite direction that the drone is drifting. Test the drone, then do it again until you get a horizontal lift.

Forward/reverse trim switch: located to the left of the right control stick.
Left/right trim switch: located below the right control stick.
Rotational trim switch: located below the left control stick.

OVERALL IMPRESSION

The camera does not give the best footage I’ve ever seen, but it is usable footage. In all honesty, I rarely use the camera on a drone, but it’s fun to have it for if I ever need it. I like the build of this drone better than any other drone I’ve ever owned. It has proper landing feet and the battery compartment is completely enclosed. I like the stability of this drone in the wind, but I wish it would pair outdoors. I have no idea why I can’t pair it outdoors. Overall, it is a very nice drone.

I bought a case of Pepsi Wild Cherry at the supermarket when it was on sale. My daughter is not a soda nut. My husband drinks diet soda. My son doesn’t like fruit in his Pepsi. So, I get this case all to my sweet lonesome. It’s okay. I’m halfway through the case all ready. The cherry flavor is bold and not too tart. It’s sweet without overwhelming my senses. I like it. The rest of the family doesn’t know what they’re missing.